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The Deshaun Watson sweepstakes are heating up as we approach the start of the new league year.
The offseason has, so far, seen Russell Wilson join the Denver Broncos, Carson Wentz join the Washington Commanders, and Aaron Rodgers re-sign with the Green Bay Packers.
However, there are still teams in search of a franchise quarterback. A few of those teams are the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks and the Cleveland Browns.
But two teams have reportedly already made preliminary offers for the services of the Houston Texans quarterback.
NFL Rumors: Are the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers willing to meet Houston Texans demands for Deshaun Watson?
NFL insider Tom Pelissero has reported that the New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers have each made their own trade offers in an attempt to acquire Deshaun Watson.
Although the specifics of the offers are unknown at this time, we do know what the Houston Texans have asked for in return for the former Pro Bowl quarterback. The Texans would like three first-round draft picks and at least one player in return for the services of the former Clemson University standout.
The New Orleans Saints have a glaring need at the quarterback position. After the retirement of Drew Brees in 2020, the team chose to go with former Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston as their next starter.
But Winston suffered a torn ACL in Week Eight against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is now a free agent, and the team is looking to move forward with the search to find their next franchise quarterback.
If the Saints were to acquire Watson, the quarterback would have weapons, such as Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. These are high-level players that the former first-round selection did not have with the Texans.
The Carolina Panthers are also in desperate need of a starting quarterback. The team signed Sam Darnold to begin the 2021-2022 season. He was placed on injured reserve after a loss to the New England Patriots, but his play was inconsistent before (and after) his injury.
The Panthers and head coach Matt Rhule then decided to sign Cam Newton, their former franchise quarterback and former NFL MVP. The results were much of the same and the team is now looking for a permanent signal caller.
Carolina has many weapons on the offensive side of the ball, including D.J. Moore, Robby Anderson and running back Christian McCaffrey.
A few days ago, news broke that Deshaun Watson would not face criminal charges in connection with several sexual assault allegations as a grand jury declined to indict him on the charges.
As the new league year approaches, the answers will soon be revealed as to which team the Houston Texans will choose to make a deal with.
